Pope John Paul II greets youths at the 44th International Eucharistic Congress in Seoul, South Korea, in 1989. The congress provided the opportunity for several Asian bishops to meet with the pontiff to discuss urgent human rights and democracy issues. (CNS file photo by Arturo Mari)    ...read more

Christian Riesbeck was born in Montreal on February 7, 1970. He grew up in Ottawa, specialized in Social Sciences at the University of Ottawa, and pursued studies for the priesthood in the Companions of the Cross. Ordained to the priesthood in 1996, he did pastoral work in the Archdiocese of Kingston as well as in ...read more

With rosary in hand, Pope John Paul II scans the crowd as his helicopter circles Colorado’s Cherry Creek State Park before the closing Mass for World Youth Day Aug. 15, 1993. “Place your intelligence, your talents, your enthusiasm, your compassion and your fortitude at the service of life,” the pope told the hundreds of thousands ...read more

People light candles in Warsaw, Poland, to pay tribute to Pope John Paul II on the second anniversary of his death April 2, 2007. (CNS photo/Katarina Stoltz, Reuters)    ...read more

  Below you will find the English translation of the Stations of the Cross from Rome’s Colosseum this evening. Pope Francis will preside at the ceremony. There is no homily by the Pope at the conclusion of the ceremony. WAY OF THE CROSS AT THE COLOSSEUM LED BY THE HOLY FATHER POPE FRANCIS GOOD FRIDAYRome, ...read more

“JUDAS WAS STANDING WITH THEM” (JN 18:5) Following the tradition, the homily for this afternoon’s Good Friday Service for the Passion of the Lord is preached by Capuchin Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa. In the divine-human history of the passion of Jesus, there are many minor stories about men and women who entered into the ray of ...read more

Pope John Paul II looks at the faithful gathered at the Colosseum during the traditional Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) Good Friday service in Rome, 2003. (CNS photo/Max Rossi, Reuters)  ...read more

Below, please find the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Easter Message: Life is stronger than death! This is the fundamental conviction of my Christian faith. It is based on a fact: Jesus’ disciples were radically transformed only a few days after his death. Let’s put ourselves in their place. The one in whom they had ...read more

Pope John Paul II prays the rosary in this L’Osservatore Romano photo dated May 4, 1991. This image, captured by a Vatican photographer, is the second most requested photo from the L’Osservatore Romano archives. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano) ...read more

The Church celebrates the Chrism Mass on the threshold of the Sacred Triduum, on the day when, by a supreme priestly act, the Son of God made man offered himself to the Father to redeem all humanity. On Holy Thursday morning at 9:30 Rome time, Pope Francis presided at the Chrism Mass in St. Peter’s ...read more